


i’ll place the sky within your eyes

by areyoumarriedriver



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-26
Updated: 2013-06-26
Packaged: 2017-12-16 06:09:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/858741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/areyoumarriedriver/pseuds/areyoumarriedriver
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He all but flew down the stairs, a grin on his face as he pulled open the doors. There she was – just as she had been – just as he’d left her, that sad love in her eyes and dismay on her face along with fresh tear tracks. His hearts clenched at the sight and he stepped out. “See the thing is, if you were surprised that that was the first time for me, that means we’re fairly familiar next time, yes?”</p>
            </blockquote>





	i’ll place the sky within your eyes

**_i’ll place the sky within your eyes_ **

“I’m all for adventures Doctor, but I think we just finished a rather massive one. Maybe in the morning?” Amy spoke in a soft voice, Rory nodding behind her, his hand laced tightly through hers. The Doctor tore his eyes from the screen and nodded absently.

Rory and Amy called goodnight, and he waved them off, his eyes focussed on the image on the screen. Postivenegative. But what did it _mean_? Amy had thought she was pregnant but she wasn’t – but according to his TARDIS maybe she was. And that little girl...

He remembered River’s face when he’d said he had the funniest hunch she’d find them – he _knew_ that face. She knew more than she was letting on. “Doesn’t she always though?” he muttered the question to himself, shifting left to right and back again as a painful sensation burned in his chest.

Not always.

Not always – he’s seen true, genuine surprise on her face twice now. Only twice. When she’d looked into his eyes in the Library and he had asked who she was. And tonight. As she stuttered out ‘ _we haven’t?’._ Oh he’d been an idiot. An absolute _idiot_. “That was _nice_ , really? Nine hundred years and that’s the best you can come up with? Blimey,” he dragged a nervous hand over his face, but all he could see behind closed lids was her face.

The TARDIS whirred impatiently and he huffed, glaring at the time rotor. “I know, okay? I know! I feel like we’re just... hurtling along to some great discovery – she said in Amy’s garden, I’d know soon. But what if I’m not _ready_ to know? What if I’m – I’m buggering it all up without even knowing it? What if I do it all _wrong_?” He sighed heavily, slouching against the console as his fingers idly traced the designs in the glass. “What if I’m doing it wrong now?” It certainly _felt_ wrong. Nothing had ever felt more wrong than leaving her there – with that look on her face. With that look in her eyes. Oh he could still see the love – just like he had in the Library, but it was the same sort of sad love, and it made his hearts ache and his eyes sting. He sniffled slightly, rubbing at his sternum absent-mindedly.

He doesn’t like that look on her face. He doesn’t like leaving her to go forward and him to go back with that face. The end for her – oh not the end of _everything_ of course, but the end of that love he didn’t feel or return. Not yet. He was... he was intrigued, yes. She was mad and clever and so _quick_ and of course she was beautiful too. But that was secondary for him – her wits, her brain, her knowledge was so much more fascinating to him than mere genetics.

She’d been genuinely shocked that the kissing was new for him. Which meant that the next time he saw her – did he fake it? Was it a thing he pretended they did? He didn’t like pretending – didn’t like the idea of it being so because he felt it _should_ be so for her. He didn’t want to hurt her, but he wanted to feel like it was something he _wanted_ to do.

It wasn’t difficult to picture, he thought as he turned back to the console with a flourish, tapping in already familiar coordinates. He could imagine it quite clearly – all that intrigue and flirting and care for her morphing into deep genuine love.

 _But she’s human_.

He closed his eyes against the thought – against the tight ache in his chest that bloomed at the unfairness of her short life span. “All the more reason to cheat a little then, eh sexy?” His ship’s lights flared as if she agreed and he pulled the parking brake down as she landed, the familiar scraping noise echoing.

He all but flew down the stairs, a grin on his face as he pulled open the doors. There she was – just as she had been – just as he’d left her, that sad love in her eyes and dismay on her face along with fresh tear tracks. His hearts clenched at the sight and he stepped out. “See the thing is, if you were surprised that that was the first time for me, that means we’re fairly familiar _next_ time, yes?”

She brushed at her cheeks and attempted to present a calm face – but oh – oh he could see right through that now. Oh she was _magnificent_ , trying to soldier on for his sake. “You know I can’t tell you that,” she finally whispered, licking her lips and looking at him with a soft sigh. He walked closer, until he was standing right where he had been before as he stared down at her. Fine lines around her eyes, and that small bump in the bridge of her nose – the fullness of her mouth which has so recently been pressed against his own. His hands twitched just at the _memory_ and he cleared his throat, adjusting his bow tie unnecessarily.

“And if we’re back to front- _ish_ ,” he stressed that bit, because he felt it was important for her to understand. He knew some older version of him had seen her before she went to the Library. To say goodbye – and his chest tightened at the mere thought of goodbye. He wasn’t anywhere _near_ ready for goodbye. Would he ever be? “That means I what – magically become accustomed to it? That makes no sense River, so clearly, you _have_ to come with me.”

She stared up at him in shock at that, her mouth slightly open and a faint smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. “Sweetie, I _can’t_. I know you don’t understand but I need to be here. For _reasons_ ,” she stressed and he sighed, tugging a hand through his hair.

“So? So what, River Song?” He pointed to the TARDIS behind him. “ _Time machine_. I‘ll have you back five minutes from now – I’ll even let you fly,” he offered and she did smile at that, looking at him sadly. “Why not just – just run with me? For a little while. Cheat time itself with me, River Song.”

“You’re going to find out soon-”

“You’ll know when the time comes, yeah? When we’re getting close.” He shrugged nonchalantly, even as his hearts hammered in his chest. Despite his casual attitude, he wasn’t leaving here without her.

“It’s close now, Doctor,” she spoke softly as she looked up at him, all of that sadness back all at once and he wanted to push it away – shove it aside and drag her along.

“It’s not _today_ , River. Amy and Rory would love to have you – Amy especially – she could use someone like you right now. A woman, an older – well not _older_. Actually, _yes_ older but that’s not to say you’re _old_ ,” he stammered and she shook her head with a laugh.

“I can’t. I can’t go along just because you could have me back five minutes from now or Amy needs a woman’s touch or –”

“ _Please_ ,” he finally let the feelings swelling within his chest burst forth as he stared at her pleadingly. “Please _, I_ want you to.” His chin wobbled a bit, and he felt desperately close to pouting – rather undignified of him, but this body seemed to just bottle these sorts of things up until it flooded it out of him – quite beyond his own control.

“Doctor, that’s low,” she scolded him but his expression didn’t change and his almost pout wibbled on the edge of becoming a full-blown one. “It’s not fair – you know I can’t refuse you anything.”

“Then why are you trying?” he asked softly and she blew out a puff of air, looking up for a moment before licking her lips and glancing back at him.

“I don’t know,” she admitted in a soft voice. “Because you’re not being sensible I suppose. What if this unravels everything?”

“What if _not_ doing this unravels everything? We can’t _know_ River – and isn’t that the beauty of it? It feels like predestination but really it’s not at all. It’s a million million possibilities at any given moment and us choosing with only the knowledge we have at our disposal. We’re a culmination of choices River. So, what do you say? What do _you_ choose?” He watched her carefully as she meet his eyes and there – just there in the back of her eyes – a small warmth and it could chase all the sadness away if she’d just let him nurse it into flame.

“Okay,” she sighed the word out and he blinked in surprise, grinning brightly.

“Okay?!” he asked in disbelief and she nodded. He clapped and giggled. “Okay! You’ll need to pack-”

“No, sweetie, I won’t. Everything I need is in there,” she nodded behind him and he frowned.

“Everything?” he asked in confusion. “But what about clothes or shoes or whatever... makes your hair look like _that_ , or-” he waved a hand over her and she laughed, tilting her head back and exposing her throat. Her teeth flashed as she grinned and he felt the ache within him ease at the sight.

“It’s all there, sweetie.”

“But you’ve not brought anything on board,” he pouted and she rolled her eyes.

“I’ve just spent three months on your ship, honey – where did you think I got it all? Besides which she exists in _all_ of time and space – do you _not_ want me to come now, because I could-”

“No, no, no, no,no!” He waved his hands and reached forward to take one of hers on impulse as he walked back to the TARDIS. “No, come on – we’ll – she has everything you need. I believe you. Hell sometimes I think she likes you better than me anyway – she’d probably make you whatever you need, if I’m honest.” He pulled her along inside the doors, turning and shutting them, startled by how closely she was following him as he brushed against her to close the doors. “Oh, sorry – right, excuse me – I didn’t meant to – to – bump you, sorry,” he dropped her hand and held his hands up, his hearts hammering in his chest as he felt an odd nervousness build in the pit of his stomach.

That sad look flashed across her face for a moment and she smiled after a moment. “It’s okay, sweetie. So – where are we off to then?” She side-stepped him neatly, bounding up the stairs, the skirt of her dress fluttering as she leapt the last stair just like he always did and he watched it float back into place around her knees thoughtfully.

“Hmm? Oh, well bed actually,” he spoke absently as he followed her up the stairs, pulling levers and setting them off into the Vortex with ease. And a bit of brakes. He _liked_ that noise – it was a _brilliant_ noise. When he looked up she was staring at him in disbelief, one hip cocked against the console as she crossed her arms over her chest and arched a single brow at him. “Not – not like _that_ ,” he stammered and she grinned. “I just meant the Ponds are in bed – adventures in the morning, they said.”

“But you don’t sleep sweetie – not much at any rate. You _should_ ,” she scolded gently and he fidgeted nervously. It was odd being told off for habits he didn’t even know she was aware of. “What will you be doing then?”

“Well I was going to work on the thermo couplings, maybe adjust the vectors, and the climate control is terrible in a few of the rooms, too hot or too cold or too _swampy_. My field room’s been dry for weeks – hasn’t rained in _ages_ -”

“So basically you were going to fiddle with wires and accomplish nothing but getting lost in your own head. Fabulous. When is the last time you slept, sweetie?” she asked softly and he bristled.

“It was a few days – no wait maybe weeks – or really – listen, you’re not my _mother_ , you can’t tell me what to do!” he shook a hand in front of her face and she laughed softly.

“Oh not even _nearly_ , my love. But maybe you should go to bed. Just for a bit. I’ll get her to make me a room-” she turned to the console as she spoke and he frowned.

“But you just were on board for three months. Where were you sleeping?”

“My room,” she answered tersely and he frowned.

“And why can’t you sleep in your room now then?” he stood close to her, looking at her with confusion. Had he accidentally deleted her room? It wouldn’t be the first time, but that would be a bad beginning-

“ _You’re_ in it, honey. And I don’t think you’re quite _there_ yet,” she finally answered him softly and his mouth dropped open in shock. Oh. _Oh_. Well then.

“No one goes in my room River – no one even knows where it _is_ ,” he licked his lips nervously and she smiled up at him, stroking a hand along his arm gently as though she were soothing him.

“I know honey. It’s fine. All I need is a bed-”

“So your things – you said your things – they’re in _my_ room?” he blinked in surprise before turning on his heel and striding over to the stairs, hopping down them and ignoring the hall as he walked toward the blank wall. A door appeared, melting out of the wall and he yanked it open, striding in.

The first thing he noticed was the smell. It smelled like her – her perfume lingering in the air. Next were the combs and brushes and not his things littering the vanity – he’d never even _had_ a vanity before, but the room was bigger – the small sitting area by the fireplace doubled and a second desk in the nook. And the wardrobe – he pulled it open to see rows of suits, rows of jackets, rows of tweed and bow ties but on the opposite side where there used to be nothing at all was all sorts of women’s clothing. He blinked in shock and pulled back, closing the door to the wardrobe and sinking on to the bed.

“None of this was here before,” he whispered to himself, but River, who had been hovering by the doorway, heard him.

“I’m sorry honey – it’s okay – I can move everything-”

He looked up at that and shook his head. “You live here.”

“Well, not quite but-”

“You _live_ here,” he stressed and she fell silent, nodding and twisting her hands together.

“Sometimes. Yes,” she admitted and he let out a breath.

“Stay. Here I mean. In here. It’s fine.”

“No, sweetie – you’re not ready and you’re young yet. I suppose we could switch up shifts, but I’m not sure that would work.” She sighed and crossed the room, sitting next to him, and he could feel a slight tingle of awareness shoot through him.

“No, I mean – I’m not saying we should – should-” he squeaked inarticulately, his arms flailing about a bit and she took his hand in hers again, which seemed to calm him down. “Not _that_. But we can _sleep_ in here can’t we?” He smiled weakly and pretended to preen a bit. “Or can’t you resist?”

She laughed softly at that, peering at him. “Alright, then. Come on.” She tugged on his arm and laid back on the bed – the left side of the bed, her head resting on the pillows as she toed off her boots and kicked them off the bed before undoing her utility belt and regular belt and placing them on the bedside table.  He swallowed heavily at the sight of her curled into _his_ pillows, but instead of inducing panic it just seemed to feel right, down to his very bones.

He pulled off his own boots, shrugging out of his tweed and tossing it aside but not removing anything else really as he crawled onto the bed behind her. After a moment of hesitation, he turned into her, his face tickled by her curls and his arm somehow landing on her waist without his permission.  He inhaled deeply, her scent surrounding him and was shocked by how heavy his eyes felt right away.

She laced her fingers through his over her stomach and hummed a tune that sounded familiar – but he couldn’t quite pin down. “Shh, sweetie. Get some rest.”

And shockingly, he did.

_xx_

He woke with his face buried in a mass of curls that tickled his eyes, nose, and crept into his mouth. It probably should have been far more irritating than it was, really. Instead of finding it disconcerting, or a nuisance, all he could think was that her hair smelled like lemons and time and space as he buried his face further and pulled her against him. She was warm – warmer than he was at the very least and he curled around her like some content housecat as she hummed, her voice heavy with sleep.

The warm peace stealing through him was abruptly startled and shattered as she pressed back against his – his – _him_ with a moan. His eyes flew open and he stared down in horror at their bodies, warm and tangled beneath the duvet that one of them must have pulled up at some point during their sleep. Certain parts of him were _quite_ awake – more awake than they’d been in ages, and he flushed, mortified. He should back up, push her away, spare his modesty and – and why were his hands pulling her _closer_? He glared at his left hand, which was currently sliding across her stomach, pressing her back into him, and it seemed to be venturing down – and oh no it didn’t!

He snatched his own hand off of her, glaring at it as if to say _what the hell was that?!_   His hand, unsurprisingly, offered no apology, and only twitched to touch her again.  “Bless, I can practically _hear_ your panic from here, sweetie,” River offered in a sleepy tone as she chuckled.  “Always in a state of constant surprise at your own limbs,” she stretched as she spoke, arching back against him and he swallowed heavily, all of a sudden gripped by a massive influx of _feelings_. Feelings he had no idea what to do with, honestly. Did he touch her? Could he trust himself to _stop_ if he did?

She took the decision out of his hands, rolling over to face him, and tucking her tiny hands – they were so _small_ and it startled him, given what he’d seen them do. Handle her gun with a capability that he shouldn’t _at all_ find attractive, pilot his TARDIS and pull levers, type coordinates, plot courses; soothe Amy, hold a wine glass delicately, stroke through pages of her diary – he felt a stirring in his chest as he stared. Wire together the weapon that killed her – his eyes dropped and he looked away, staring instead and her knees, pulled up and pressed against his own.

Her hands were far too small to hold his hearts, he thought, but he knew they were more than capable.

It was a thought that scared him more than anything, really. “Good morning,” he finally spoke and she smiled at him brightly as he frowned. “Well not morning, technically, I suppose. It could be any time really – or every time all at once, but saying good day just doesn’t have the same ring to it, does it? And it could be night after all,” he babbled nervously until she finally took pity on him, sitting up and leaning over to press a soft kiss to his cheek.

“I’ll start breakfast,” she laughed. “That will make it _properly_ morning, yeah?” He could only nod dumbly, the skin of his cheek tingling in a remarkably pleasant manner. Sort of how he felt when he rescued someone, or hugged Amelia, or when Rory would sit and speak to him – _man-to-man_. But it was more than that – it was more like when he was flying through the Vortex to who knew where, his ship vibrating all around him as they careened through space, his hands gripping the console because he never ever ever used the blue boringers, because space flight was not _meant_ to be boring. He disliked boring. River was the exact _opposite_ of boring, she was infinitely interesting and all kinds of puzzling, and any manner of mysterious and he just really, _really_ liked that. Far more than he should.

By the time he came to this conclusion, however, she’d waltzed into the washroom and back out again, freshly changed into soft black leggings and a long white shirt that sort of _draped_ over her bits and curves, with a low slung black belt and boots, steam billowing behind her and _how_ had she gotten her hair dry so fast? Surely he’d not _lost track of time_ while lying there, thinking about how she made him _feel_?

“Get out of bed, sweetie,” she rolled her eyes and tossed a throw cushion at his head. He gaped at her as she waltzed out of the room, with a sway to her hips that he couldn’t seem to stop watching. Once she’d gone, he flopped back, the throw cushion planted over his face. He was behaving like he was only a few centuries old, for goodness sakes! Right then. He would stop that, and stop letting River Song sway her way across his brain and confuse him.

“Easy.”

A half hour later he strode into the console room to see Amy and Rory leaning against the railing, chatting softly, their bodies brushing against each other as she leaned into him and laughed softly. When she saw the Doctor, however, she frowned, standing abruptly. “What are you doing here?”

“It’s _my_ ship, you know, I _am_ allowed to walk around in it, Pond.” His voice was scornful and she rolled her eyes.

“But we smelled bacon – it’s what woke us up. So if you’re not cooking, who is?” She crossed her arms and glared and he glanced up at the time rotor, fiddling with bits that didn’t even _do_ anything – but neither of the Ponds knew that, now did they?

“River, probably,” he mumbled into his own bowtie and Amy leapt around the console, her brows lifted nearly sky high.

“Did you say _River?”_ Amy’s voice was shrill as she smirked at Rory, who rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, clearly deciding to stay out of it. He quite liked Rory, the Doctor decided. By far his favourite Pond.  “Had a _date_ last night, did we? You’re always romping around with her while we sleep, but you’ve never brought her _home_ afterward,” she observed with a smug grin and the Doctor felt irrationally irritated as he swung around to glare at her.

“It wasn’t a _date_ , nor a _romp_ – I went back for her. Last night.” He pronounced with a glare and Amy’s eyes widened.

“So she stayed the night then, did she? Why _Doctor_!” She clutched her chest, laughing as the Doctor flushed a deep red.

“Not like _that_!” he protested in an alarming high voice. “That’s all _humany_ stuff, Pond!”

“Oh come off it, I’m sure you’re capable, I mean Timelords didn’t just _pop_ into existence from nowhere. Though I wonder if it’s _alien_ – ew, oh my god, Rory I need tea, that was _too_ disturbing a thought,” Amy pulled a disgusted face as Rory sighed, rubbing her back and the Doctor waved his arms at her, his face beet red now.

“No, no, no – it’s not _alien_ – I told you, _you_ look Timelord, not the other way round, Pond – why are we even discussing this?”

“Probably because you’re delightfully easy to wind up, honey,” River’s voice drawled from by the stairs. She winked at Amy, her eyes sparkling, “And not _alien_ , Amy – though there _are_ a few differences. I _really_ don’t mind,” she smirked at everyone and rolled her eyes at the three faces that gaped back at her in shock. “Breakfast is ready, if anyone wants it,” she added thoughtfully, before she disappeared again the way she had come.

“Eugh, entirely _too_ much information!” Amy pulled a face and the Doctor glared at her.

“How do you think _I_ feel?” he spluttered and Amy lifted her brows in surprise.

“Clearly not how you _should_ ,” she pointed out with a roll of her eyes. “I’m going to go have tea. Is River staying?”

“For a while – yes,” he tugged at his jacket as he spoke, the tweed sliding under his palms as Amy smiled.

“Well, it’ll be nice to have another girl around for a while. I miss my best friend,  you know,” she sighed wistfully and Rory and the Doctor both frowned.

“I’m your best friend!” they both spoke at once and Amy huffed.

“My best _female_ friend, god. I love you both to pieces, but I can only take so much testosterone you know. Plus when you two start talking about cars and ships and… whatever,” she waved a hand. “I do have friends that are girls, you know!” she insisted and Rory rolled his eyes.

“Please, _barely_ ,” he muttered as Amy punched his arm.

“She’s your friend too, take that back! Plus if she’d not pointed out that I had _you_ , lord knows where we’d be,” she wrapped her arms around Rory’s neck and kissed his cheek. “I hope River made sausage,” she grinned before bouncing over to the stairs and following  in the direction River had gone in. “Come on!” she shouted behind her and both Rory and the Doctor jumped, following her down the hall.

One noisy hour later found them all gathered around the table, hands wrapped around tea mugs as Amy and River carried a large part of the conversation, giggling – honestly, _River Song_. _Giggling_. – but the Doctor noticed how River always seemed to balance the conversation with Rory as well, drawing him in to the topic at hand in such a way that neither of the Ponds ever noticed.

She did not, however, include him in the same way, and he pouted into his tea mug a bit as he watched the three of them. It wasn’t that he was jealous, because he most certainly _wasn’t_.  Not at all. Or even a little bit. But she wasn’t engaging _him_ in conversation and why not?! He was a joy to speak to, and he knew something about everything, so why in the universe would she not speak to _him?_

He was contemplating how best to break into their little _tête-à-tête_ when the ship lurched, and the plates slide across the table. River just managed to catch them before the crockery hit the floor, and Amy and Rory looked at him, startled. “What was that?”

 _Oh now they want to talk to me_ , he thought snidely, before River’s gaze fell on him, censure within it as if she could read his every thought. Perhaps she could.  He looked away at that uncomfortable thought, and stood quickly, leaving his tea mug on the table as he scampered out of the room. Amy and Rory followed closely behind as he leapt down the stairs and over to the console, wrenching the monitor around to face him. “She’s in flight – I didn’t tell you to _fly_ anywhere,” he glared at his ship for a moment before studying the screen intently. “Distress call. Oh, _pirate ship_ ,” he grinned at Amy and Rory, who looked at each other nervously. No matter, he glanced around for River – surely _she’d_ understand the implicit excitement involved in a _pirate ship_ , but she was nowhere to be seen. He frowned, glancing around the room as if she’d simply appear during one of his visual sweeps.

But she didn’t and he tugged at his bowtie, feeling oddly disappointed. “Right. Um, adrift on the ocean, oh, that’s interesting. Not very much information – how can a pirate ship send a distress signal?” he frowned at the monitor for a moment before shrugging. “Oh well, only one way to find out, isn’t there? Come along, Ponds!” He clapped and rushed over to the doors, Amy and Rory following him.

“But what about River?” Rory glanced over his shoulder and the Doctor waved.

“Oh she’ll catch up, Rory, come _on_. _Pirates_!” he spoke excitedly, grabbing both their hands as he dragged them out of the ship behind him. They were in some sort of cargo hold – all wooden planks and coils of ropes and chests and barrels – “Oh _pirate_!” he exclaimed, scanning with his sonic as they walked toward the stairs.

“Where is everyone?” Amy asked and the Doctor continued, without responding.

“Well, we’ve landed in storage. Maybe they’re not particularly _good_ pirates, and don’t have any booty to guard?” Rory answered her doubtfully as they crept up the stairs.

“Pirates don’t keep their _booty_ in the hold with the stores,” River spoke dryly from behind them and they all jumped in surprise. The Doctor glanced over his shoulder to see River, her arms crossed over her leather bodice – _when had she put that on_? – and her hip cocked to one side, seemingly to counter balance the-

“River! No _swords_ on adventures!” the Doctor scolded her and she ignored him, looking to Rory.

“It’s kept with the Captain,” she explained and both of the Ponds frowned. “The booty?” she lifted her brows and Rory nodded in understanding.

“Ohh,” he nodded before shrugging. “That makes sense.”

“Are we all waiting on something in particular?” River asked with a frown, and the Doctor jumped, having until that moment been staring down at her bodice – or more particularly, given his angle of view-

“Oh my god Doctor, stop staring at her _breasts_ and let’s go. Distress call, remember stupid?” Amy smacked his shoulder as he jumped and flailed on the stairs.

“I was _not_ -”

“Really? Pity – it’s the whole reason I changed,” River purred as she climbed the steps until she was pressed against him, looking up at the closed hatch above their heads. “Shall we?” she grinned at him and he was reminded of her face, just prior to entering the Pandorica chamber – sometimes he could see so perfectly clearly why his older self would be involved with her. Perhaps even love her. She thirsted for that same knowledge he did, that same adventure, the racing thrill of things unknown.

Just then, the hatch was wrenched open and they were faced with several bearded men, weapons drawn as the stared at each other in shock. The Doctor beamed up at him, stepping one step above River and shielding her from their view. Strictly for safety of course, not at all because several of the men were eying her lasciviously. “Yo ho ho!” he declared, and he could swear her heard River huff behind him. “Or does nobody actually say that?”

As they’re being hauled to the Captain’s quarters at gunpoint, River glared at him as he attempted to look innocent. “Does nobody _say_ that?” she muttered under her breath and he held up his hands in a placating manner.

“How was I to know?”

“It’s _history_ Doctor. Read a book-”

“They’re always wrong,” he interrupted and she glared at him.

“Then watch a _film_ ,” she snapped as the Captain turned to look at them.

“Why are you here?” He glanced at them all in turn, his gaze fierce.

“We saw your signal,” the Doctor responded slowly and the Captain frowned as he stared at their small group.

“We made no signal,” he insisted.

River leaned forward, her chest brushing against the Doctor’s shoulder as she whispered in his ear, “Have you not wondered where that signal came from?”

“Distress call,” the Doctor snapped, glaring at River for a moment before he looked at the Captain. “Our sensors picked you up.”

“Sensors?” the Captain looked puzzled and River sighed behind him.

“Seventeenth century, Doctor,” she breathed out and the Doctor huffed.

“Right. Er, our ship automatically… noticed your ship was in a spot of bother,” he explained haltingly and the Captain shook his head.

“The blue crate?” A pirate piped up behind them and the Doctor nodded, ignoring River’s hand at his back, gripping tightly in warning. Honestly, as if he’d never been on a pirate adventure before. Insufferable woman.

“They must be magic too!” another pirate spoke suspiciously, his eyes narrowed. “How did they get below decks if they’re not spirits?”

“No, no, no – not spirits. Definitely _not_ magic. Really. Look I’m the Doctor, this is Amy and Rory – and River – we’re pirates!” he exclaimed with gusto as everyone in the room stared at him incredulously. “Just like you! Arrghh!” River’s hand on his back flattened out for a moment and he sighed in relief before she pinched him. He turned to glare at her, and she looked at him with a lifted brow, completely unapologetic.

He swung back around only to see the Captain pointing a gun at him. River shoved him aside, stepping in front of him as she glared at the Captain. They’d taken her sword immediately – but she had a certain deathly quality to the gaze she levelled on the Captain. The Doctor tugged at her hips ineffectually – she wouldn’t be budged an inch though. “Stowaways! Only explanation – we’ve been stranded for near a fortnight, becalmed. Not a breath of wind – and there’s only one thing we do with stowaways aboard _my_ ship.” He holstered his gun and grabbed River’s arm, dragging her along with him as they were shoved out toward the deck.

It wasn’t until she was on the gangplank that the Doctor felt a slight edge of panic grip him. The Captain had a gun trained on her, and the crew seemed to be eying her with disappointment. “One barrel of water is all we have left, we don’t need more bellies to fill. Take the doxy below deck – she looks like she’d not eat much. Pity about this one,” he glanced at River who glared at him, clearly enraged.

Pirates grabbed Amy, shoving her toward the hatch leading below as she glared at them.  “Rory! A little help?”

“Oi, she is _not_ a doxy,” Rory pointed at the pirates as Amy huffed, before she was shoved below decks and the hatch was closed after her. “Amy!”

“Look, I’m sure this is all a misunderstanding,” the Doctor started, trying to stall for time as the Captain waved his gun at River.

“I understand perfectly Doctor. Go on with you then, witch,” the Captain glared at River who edged slowly toward the end of the plank, her eyes darting over to the hatch. Clearly she expected Amy to do something, and the Doctor felt his panic rise. “If you’re lucky you’ll drown before the sharks get you,” he growled at River. The Doctor swallowed, watching a flicker of fear cross River’s face as she peered down at the black water below.

“Look if this is just because I’m a captain too, no need to feel threatened. Your ship is much bigger than mine,” he lied with ease, his eyes on River, willing her to _look_ at him. “And I don’t even have a cool hat,” he added and there – River looked up at that, a tiny smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. He felt inordinately pleased with  himself, given that all he’d done was chase that tiny bit of fear off of her face.

“Ha!” Just then, Amy burst out from down below, in a pirate coat and hat, and holding the Captain at swordpoint. The man, oddly, dropped his gun and leapt back from Amy, holding his hands up.

“Are you crazy girl? You’ll kill us all with that!”

“Yeah, kind of the _point_ ,” Amy jabbed the sword at him, glaring at the other men. “All of you, on your knees, now!”

“What are you doing Pond?” The Doctor cried out and she glanced at him, staring incredulously.

“Saving your lives, got a problem with that?”

“I have no problem with that whatsoever,” River was scrambling back onto the ship deck, gripping the Doctor’s arm tightly. “Thank you – Amy.” She seemed to hesitate oddly and the Doctor turned to stare at her, his eyes narrowed. Just then one of the pirates leapt out at Amy, and she jumped back, swinging the sword as the pirates dove out of her range.  She swung on a rope, swinging the sword madly as she careened, the crew falling out of her way.

“Pond, what are you _doing_?” the Doctor yelled at his friend, and she glanced over her shoulder at him, swinging the sword and nicking one of the pirates who gasped, looking at his hand in horror.

“You’ve killed me,” the pirate’s voice trembled and Amy frowned, glancing back at them and then to the pirate again.

“I have not, it’s just a scratch! What sort of rubbish pirates are you?” Just then a black spot appeared on the man’s hand, and another pirate tackled Amy, causing her sword to arc through the air. Rory caught it, hissing as it cut him, and it dropped to the deck with a clatter as a spot appeared on Rory’s hand as well. River and the Doctor watched as he looked up.

“Doctor, what’s that?” Rory asked in a nervous voice, and the Captain answered.

“One drop of blood and she can smell it on you. She will rise out of the ocean – she’s marked you for death,” his voice was ominous and the Doctor frowned, moving toward Rory.

“She?” Rory asked.

“The demon,” he answered.

“Not just pirates today then, hmm?” the Doctor grinned at Rory as he inspected his hand. “We managed to bag a pirate ship with a _demon_ , how cool is that?!”

“Doctor!” River and Amy scolded him and he waved a hand at them. Just then an eerie song started, and they all looked to the port, watching as a woman in green flew into the sky, singing softly.

“A siren?” River spoke softly and the Doctor glanced at her in shock. Surely she wouldn’t believe _that_? Not his River – not that she was _his_ strictly speaking. Except he was fairly certain she was, whether he liked it or not.

“Not real,” he muttered and she huffed beside him.

“Well, _obviously_ , but I didn’t want to shout alien with a bunch of seventeenth century _pirates_ around us,” she hissed and he pouted, feeling a bit scolded and a lot guilty. Of _course_ she knew better. The pirate who’d been cut stumbled toward the creature, almost euphoric as he reached toward her.

And then promptly disappeared.

The creature turn to Rory then, who was giggling madly and glancing about. “Quickly, block your ears!” One of the pirates shouted and Rory laughed out loud.

“Plug my ears? Why? It’s beautiful,” His voice was giddy as Amy gripped his arm hard and he turned to her, sighing. “ _You’re_ beautiful.”

“The song charms them, makes them irrational.” The Captain stated as they all backed away from the creature. “Lures them in.”

At that, both Amy and River stepped in front of Rory, but Rory hindered Amy by tugging on her arm and grinning at her. “I love the get up. We should do pirates more often, cuddle me, shipmate!”

“Just what every girl wants to hear,” River muttered with a roll of her eyes as she shoved Amy and Rory further behind her, staring at the creature with a level gaze. The Doctor frowned, glancing at Rory’s hand and then River and finally the Captain.

Rory was babbling about brilliant beards, even as the Doctor’s mind raced – they had to get him out of here, obviously. But where? And could the creature follow?

“I have to touch her, let me touch her,” Rory struggled against Amy’s grip as River glared at the approaching creature.

“You’re not taking him,” she stated calmly and Amy pulled Rory back further as she made a noise of agreement.

“He is spoken for,” Amy snapped and the creature let out a scream of anger, turning red as she looked at River, who was thrown back from the force of whatever it had done. “River!” Amy cried as she pulled Rory back further and the Doctor scrambled over to River, helping her stand.

“Everyone into the hold!” he shouted over his shoulder as he tugged River with him, all of them scrambling below deck. Once the doors were closed behind them, Amy glared at the Captain and the Doctor, irritation stamped all over her face.

“What is that thing?”

“A siren,” the Captain answered as both River and the Doctor sighed. He went on about curses and legends as Amy looked from him to the Doctor, her brows lifted.

“It smells blood, like a shark!” One of the pirates cried and the Doctor let go of River in order to clap.

“Yes! Like a shark.  In a dress,” he continued with a slight frown. “A green singing shark in an evening gown.” He paused before shaking his head, “No wait, that’s rubbish-”

“The ship is cursed!” The Captain declared and River huffed from behind the Doctor, her arms crossed as she strode forward.

“Right, big on that in this time aren’t you lot? Curses and magic – anything that you can’t be bothered to find an explanation for-”

“River!” The Doctor reached for her shoulders, pulling her back as she grumbled. The Captain clearly hadn’t heard a word she’d said regardless, in fact they _all_ seemed entirely too preoccupied with looking at her – “Oi!” The Doctor shoved River behind him, glaring at the pirates in front of him. “Bloody _pirates_ ,” he grumbled.

“Is that thing of yours really a ship? Show me – make it sail!” The Captain pulled a gun from seemingly nowhere and pointed it at the Doctor, who lifted his hands and stepped back quickly. River’s hand on his back dragged him back more as she stepped in front of him, glaring at the Captain.

“He most certainly will _not_.”

“You think I wouldn’t shoot a woman?” The Captain snarled and River smirked as she stepped closer, one brow winging up before she swung a fist, hitting the Captain in the jaw and disorienting him long enough to relieve him of his weapon.

“You think I wouldn’t hit a man? No one shoots at him but _me_.” She insisted as she opened the gun, removing the bullets. “And even then, I usually aim to miss.”

“Tell that to my hats,” The Doctor grumbled as he watched her, his arms crossed. He felt an odd stirring, his stomach tightening as he watched her toss the weapon into the water – what good was a gun against an obviously telekinetic creature anyway? She was _brilliant_ really, he mused, staring at her with a grin. Just then one of the pirates cried out.

“Something’s got me!” He lifted his leg out of the water, revealing a leech on his leg.

“Everyone out of the water!” The Doctor cried, grabbing River and shoving her up on to a crate as he scrambled after her. She helped Amy get Rory up, before Amy scrambled up himself. By the time they were all up, the pirate had gotten rid of the leech, as a black spot bloomed on his hand. “It’s okay,” the Doctor reassured everyone. “It’s okay, we’re safe down here. No ‘curse’ is getting through three solid inches of timber.”

There was a whoosh behind him as song filled the air and he closed his eyes. “You really ought to stop doing that sweetie,” River observed drily and he opened his eyes to glare at her. Amy was holding Rory back admirably, but the pirate who’d just been bitten stumbled toward the creature before any of them could grab him, a grin on his face as he disappeared. The Doctor just barely caught his hat as the creature turned toward Rory.

“Run!” He shouted as they all scrambled across the boxes and into another room, where the Doctor bolted the door behind them.

“ _Safe_?” Amy scoffed at him, still keeping Rory in a tight grip as she glared. The Doctor held up his hands to ward her off.

“I have my good days and bad days,” he protested as River slipped around him to take Amy’s free hand, helping her with Rory.

“How did she get in?” The Captain asked as the Doctor soniced the hat and examined the readings. He opened his mouth to speak, but River spoke first.

“The water. She’s using it like a portal, a door,” she simplified for the pirates in the room and the Doctor nodded thoughtfully.

“We need to go somewhere where there’s no water,” he thought aloud and Amy huffed.

“Lucky we’re not in the _middle of the ocean_ then, genius.”

“Did you see her eyes? Like _crystal pools_ ,” Rory sighed and Amy glared at him as River nudged him.

“You’re very nearly in enough trouble already,” River spoke before Amy could, but she nodded vigorously.

“The magazine!” The Captain cried and the Doctor snapped, pointing at him and putting on the hat.

“Yes! Where the gun powder is stored – dry as a bone!” They all nod, and headed toward the room in question, with the Captain leading the way. Amy dragged Rory along, and the Doctor followed behind, with River dropping back to be at his side.

“Cute hat,” she murmured. “Pity I threw that gun away.” She eyed him and he glared at her, one hand reaching up to grip his brand new pirate hat.

“What is _with_ your rampant hatred of hats River?” He hissed at her incredulously. “I mean, it’s bordering on pathological-”

“Maybe it is,” she stared at him and his words died. “Maybe I hate them for a good reason,” she continued cryptically.

“A good reason you likely can’t explain because of _spoilers_. I swear you use that like a scapegoat-”

“Learned from the best, sweetie,” she bit the words out and walked faster as they finally approached the door to see one of the pirates saying that the key was missing. “Looks like someone beat us here.”

“Someone with the same idea as us,” the Doctor observed as they pushed the door open and gathered in the magazine. The room appeared empty as the Captain started issuing orders to barricade the door. The Doctor and River ignored them, both glancing around the small room cautiously. “Who’s been sleeping in my gun room?” The Doctor heard a slight cough, muffled by wood and River lifted the top off of a barrel, finding a rather small child, covered in gunpowder.

“Hullo,” she smiled gently at the boy, “I’m River. And this is the Doctor – and we’re here to help. Come on then, out you get. No place for a boy with a cough,” she helped him out of the barrel with gentle hands and the Doctor watched, a bit speechless.  River. With kids – such a thought had never ever occurred to him, but her natural maternal manner suddenly had his mind spinning with a thousand, thousand thoughts – all of them utterly terrifying and thrilling all at once. And impossible. _She’s human_. Perhaps not with him then? But that thought just festered away within him until it burned right between his hearts. No. He didn’t like _that_ idea one bit.

The Captain shoved past them, grabbing the boy from River’s hands and shaking him. “You fool boy! What are you doing here?!”

“Who is he?”

“What he’s not one of the crew?” The Doctor asked, finally shaking himself out of his admittedly jealous thoughts. Not that he’d admit that to anyone _but_ himself.

“No, he’s my son,” the Captain muttered. He shoved the boy to a bench and sat next to him. “What on earth possessed you boy? Your mother will be searching-” The child flinched at that, looking away, grief plain on his face. The Captain sighed softly, “When?”

“Last winter. Fever.” The boy finally spoke up, his voice wobbling but he carried on. “She told me about you – how you were a Captain in the Navy-” His lip curled as he spoke the obvious lies. “An honourable man she said. How proud I would be to know you. I’ve come to join your crew.” Hope crept into his voice and River and the Doctor backed off as they spoke, moving over to check on Amy and Rory.

“You okay?” The Doctor clapped Rory’s shoulder as he questioned him quietly and Rory rubs his hand absent-mindedly, nodding. A commotion behind them has them all turning as the small boy showed his father the black spot on his hand. The Doctor shot a look at River, and they all moved aside, sitting on barrels as the Captain searched the boy for a cut. But the Doctor knew he wouldn’t find one.

“There’s not a mark on him.”  He declared, worried and the Doctor sighed as he nodded.

“Yup. Ignore my other theory-”

“He’s got good and bad days,” Amy supplied, a touch sarcastically and he fought not to look at her. He supposed she had every right to be irritated – her husband was in danger because of him.

“She’s marking the ill, not the wounded,” River spoke softly, walking over to the boy and stroking a hand against his face. He leaned in to the touch, coughing slightly. “He’s got a fever, Captain…” she tilted her head, realising they’d not been introduced, what with the guns and the creature and the running.

“Avery,” he supplied and she nodded.

“He’s sick,” she spoke gently, so as not to alarm the boy, but the look in her eyes let them all know just how seriously she meant.

“The siren know it too,” the Doctor declared. “Humans – so weak. They damage easily.” He avoided everyone’s gaze as he struggled to find a solution beyond the obvious one. Compromising the knowledge of so many people – but there wasn’t a choice, and River was watching him with eyes that demanded he save the child. He knew what she was saying – he was sick. Fatally in this time era, but easily resolved if they just bent the rules a bit. He did always love bending the rules. “My ship can take us away from here. You and I can go get it,” he spoke to Avery and River stood up as well.

“I’m coming too,” she insisted and the Doctor shook his head.

“It’s safe here. You can keep everyone safe.”

“It is safe here, not out there. You’re liable to trip on air, injure yourself and get snatched by a psycho harpy, and sorry sweetie, but I can’t let that happen.” She crossed her arms and he lifted his brows, inching closer to her as the maternal mantle fell away from her and his hearts eased to see it. He didn’t want to think those thoughts – he liked it better when she was _his_ River. All sass and hair and infuriating smugness.

“Oh I’m spoken for as well, am I?” He spoke in a low voice and she eyed him carefully.

“In a manner of speaking,” she hedged, “y _es_.” As they spoke, the boy opened the barrel of water, and the Doctor reacted quickly, grabbing the lid and shoving it back on just as the siren reached through. Avery scolded the boy, informing him that the water was dangerous. “Not a lot of time then. Death by siren or dehydration, we don’t have time to argue, Doctor. We need to _go_.” The Doctor nodded, and looked at Avery quickly, who was dropping a pendant around the boy’s neck.

“Barricade the door behind us,” he instructed the two remaining pirates. “Wait here with Toby.” They protested, but he glared at them and they remained silent.

“Are you sure you want to go?” Amy asked both of them and the Doctor squeezed her shoulder.

“We’ve got to get Rory and Toby away safely,” he insisted.

“Well, if you get an itch, don’t scratch too hard,” she eyed them both and the Doctor smiled sadly.

“Well we’ve all got to go sometimes. There are worse ways than getting your face snogged off by a dodgey mermaid.” He clapped Rory’s shoulder as Rory nodded eagerly and River snorted behind him.

“Over _my_ dead body,” she muttered and the Doctor had to stifle a small giggle of glee at that. He did like a bit of possessiveness – after all, if he was harbouring jealous thoughts – well, it was nice to know she was too.

They exited the room quickly, arguing briefly over who would lead the way, to which River huffed and shoved both of them aside, making her way quickly toward where the TARDIS had landed. She and the Doctor entered quickly, moving to the console and leaving Avery by the doors, muttering about witchcraft and the like. “Always the same response, no matter the time period,” he observed to her with a grin as they moved seamlessly around the controls.

Eventually Avery came closer, moving up to stand with them at the console, and eying the controls. “What’s this do?”

The Doctor looked at him, as River continued to type rapidly, eying the read outs with concern. “That does complicated. That,” he pointed at another lever, “does sophisticated, that does _whoa_ amazing, and that does whizz bang far too technical to explain!” River chuckled from beside him, leaning over to purr  in his ear.

“Sweetie, stop it – you _know_ how I get when you talk technical.” She smirked at him and he adjusted his lapels as he winked at her, flirting back with ease.

“You know I know, it’s why I do it.”

“Wheel, telescope, astrolabe, compass,” Avery reeled off, ignoring them both as he shrugged. “A ship’s a ship.” The Doctor ignored him, attempting to set the TARDIS into the Vortex, but the ship groaned and protested his attempts. “Becalmed?” Avery asked a bit smugly and the Doctor shot him a look.

“Just have to gloat, don’t you?”

“I’m not gloating,” he protested as River frowned at the screen, adjusting the controls as the TARDIS still groaned in protest.

“I can’t get a lock on the plane,” she spoke to the Doctor and he nodded as Avery frowned.

“The what?”

“Sort of… the space we travel in. Like the ocean. Except not, that’s a rubbish comparison. Without a plane to lock onto the TARDIS thinks the space doesn’t exist. She’s sulking,” he smacked a hand against the console and River shoved him aside with a glare.

“I’m confused,” Avery spoke and the Doctor huffed out a sigh, throwing up his hands as River continued to attempt to lock on.

“It’s a big club, we should get T-shirts,” he snapped back. Just then there was a groan and a hiss as sparks flew from the console and River flinched, but stayed in place.

“The parametric engines are jammed. Orthogonal vector's gone. I'm almost out of ideas,” River spoke through gritted teeth as she fought with the controls, hissing in pain.

“Well we could try stroking her and singing a song,” the Doctor offered as more sparks showered around them and the TARDIS gave an irritated whirr.

“Does that work?” Avery asked and the Doctor shrugged.

“Well it has before,” he started just as the ship lurched, throwing he and Avery into the railing as River struggled with the controls.

“I’m losing control of her, she’s about to dematerialise and she could wind up anywhere!” River shouted over the noise and the Doctor shoved Avery toward the stairs.

“Abandon ship!” He reached back for River but she shook her head, pushing him after Avery. “River!”

“No, go! I can pilot her back and you need to be _here_ , Doctor. Go!”

“I’m not _leaving_ you,” he insisted stubbornly and she glared at him.

“I’ll be _fine_ , now _go_.” She pushed him harder, and he caught her hands, staring at her for a moment. He knew she was right – but he couldn’t just _leave_ her. But the TARDIS disappearing without them was just about the worst thing that could happen. At least with one of them here, they had a chance… “ _Doctor_ ,” River’s voice cut through his thoughts and he blinked, looking up at her before nodding. Some mad instinct took over his body and he tightened his grip on her, pulling her closer and pressing a fierce kiss to her mouth.  It was harsh, and biting – it was a warning and an order – _be safe or else_. She kissed him back, her hands tight on his, before she shoved him away, toward the door. “Be _careful_ ,” she stressed and he looked at her before nodding.

“You too.” He turned, leaping down the stairs and shoving Avery out of the doors as they tumbled into the hold and watched as the ship started to dematerialise. Halfway through, a sickly, familiar green mist envelops the TARDIS and the Doctor moves forward, panicked, but Avery’s hands stay him. “No, River!”

“Come on, we have to go,” Avery dragged him back as he stared at the spot his ship had been. And his – his River _in_ it. Shoving Avery off, the Doctor straightened, adjusting his bowtie as he nodded.

“The TARDIS will keep her safe. We have to figure this out – come on, we need another plan.” He pulled the Captain along beside him as they moved back into the bowels of the ship. He’d save them all – there was no other option now.

_xx_

It took one mutiny and another loss for the Doctor to _finally_ figure it out, and his hearts beat in excitement when he realises. Not water, _reflections_. He saved the boy, just barely – or very nearly – either way, Amy, Rory, Toby and Avery all looked at him like he was insane as he breathed on the medallion to fog the surface.

“Where’s River?” Amy glared at them as if it were their fault – and it was a bit, but the Doctor couldn’t look at her then, instead he focussed on grabbing handfuls of gunpowder and sullying up the surface of the medallion once more.

“It took the TARDIS. Not sure why – she’s not ill. Not really. But River was – she stayed with it.” His voice was quiet and his tone was final, and for once Amy didn’t push him. She simply stared at him sadly, and squeezed his shoulder.

“Doctor, I am so sorry.”

“Don’t be. She’s not gone – we’re getting them back,” he declared, standing and looking around the room. “All of them. I just need to… figure out a thing.”

They follow him to the cabins, and break glass and mirrors with him – “Yes, very bad luck to break them, I know. But look at it this way – there’s a stroppy homicidal mermaid out to kill us all.” No one looked reassured by his words, and the Doctor huffed for a moment before hauling the treasure chest out as Avery lamented things not getting any worse.

They always did that.

And then it always got worse.

Of course, worse was relative – and while the Doctor didn’t think chucking a whole crate of treasure in the ocean was really _worse_ , Avery clearly disagreed. “No! No! That is the treasure of the Mogul of India!” He scrambled to save pieces as he protested, and the Doctor paused, wondering what River would have said to that. Likely argued the veracity of the treasure in question, or maybe she would simply slug Avery and forgo fighting about it. But River wasn’t here, and she wouldn’t be until he figured this out. He _had_ to figure it out.

“Oh good, for a moment I thought it was yours,” he snapped at Avery. “Any reflection – we have to save Toby and Rory,” the Doctor pointed out, hoping that his son’s fate would sway the sea Captain. “Go get the crown.”

Throwing treasure overboard is harder than it looks, _blimey_ gold is heavy. But it all goes overboard. And then they wait.

“We just wait?” Rory’s voice was nervous and the Doctor nodded, pacing as he fought to figure out what to do.

“Not my best plan, I admit,” he grimaced and Rory shifted, before raising a hand.

“Just… wait below decks?” He asked again and the Doctor grimaced. It wasn’t a _plan_ so much as a defense strategy, he knew.

“The sea is calm – if we go above, she will take you,” Avery stated softly, Toby close by his side as they all stared at the Doctor.

“I’m missing something,” he muttered as he paced, his hands fidgeting with his sonic as he treaded the worn planks. “Figure it out,” he tapped the sonic against his own forehead, frowning.

“The sea won’t stay calm,” Rory spoke finally and the Doctor nodded.

“We’ll sail then,” Avery insisted and the Doctor shook his head.

“We can’t leave her,” he insisted, not really sure if he meant River or the TARDIS or both. He can’t seem to contemplate either, really.

“She’s lost to you, Doctor,” Avery spoke, resigned, and the Doctor whirled to glare at him.

“ _No_ , she is not. She is _not_.” He felt caged, and he heaved a sigh before he looked at them. “Get some sleep,” he finally commanded softly before he exited the room, and went above. No one had him marked for death, after all.

The sea was flat all around him, but the stars were out and the Doctor stared up at them. They’d been up there yesterday. Just yesterday he’d laid in his own bed, her hair in his face and her body warming his as his ship hummed all around them, and he wanted it _back_. He swallowed, running a hand through his hair as he sighed.

Avery stepped up behind him, and the Doctor kept looking up, not acknowledging his presence. “It’s not one star, it’s two,” he pointed up at the sky above them as he spoke, still not looking at Avery. “The dog star. Sirius. Binary system.”

“I use it to navigate,” Avery spoke finally, and the Doctor nodded. The man next to him had been a hero at one time. Before he’d lost it all and turned to piracy – wandering the seas. His family lost to him – a lonely man. The Doctor understood that, despite their difference of circumstance. Both of them had the chance to grasp the family before them now. If they were brave enough.

“I’ve travelled far, like you,” he admitted to the Captain, who turned to look at him. “Space can be very lonely. The greatest adventure can be having someone to share it with.” It was what he tried to do – with his friends. Share the adventure with them, see it anew through their eyes. But River – River wasn’t like Amy and Rory or Donna or Peri or Ace.  Something about her _felt_ different, and he knew it. It was why she scared him so very much.

“If we get out of this I’ll take him back to England. I am not the father he needs,” Avery spoke quietly and the Doctor stared at him. This man who ran. What had made him become this?

“Who are you Avery? Respected navel hero, wife and child at home. How did that man get here?”

“I’ve set my course,” Avery admitted heavily, avoiding his gaze. “No changing it now.” The Doctor stared at him for a moment – a man defeated.  There was no such thing as a set course – he knew that. Winds blew, waves rolled – things out of their control set them adrift. The Doctor supposed that River and he felt a bit like a set course, but he knew better. There was no such thing – no fixed points around them. Every word, every smile, every flirtation was a choice. A choice he’d run from, fled in the wake of, because what if he chose wrong?

But there was no _right_ way to choose, really, he mused. He could only navigate as best he could, with the knowledge he had. He looked up again, silent for a moment as he stared at the stars. “People stared at it for centuries and never knew,” he observed, looking up at Sirius once more. He glanced at Avery, who was also looking up at a whole new star – not one, but two. “Things can change, when you’re least expecting,” he offered, feeling suddenly much calmer than he had when he’d come above deck. Things would change again, he’d make sure of it. He had to find River again – he knew she didn’t die here.

He’d save her.

He squeezed the other man’s shoulder, before he moved below deck once more. He just needed to figure this out first. Just make the pieces fit, and find them all. Wherever they’d disappeared to.

_xx_

He stood in the cabin, staring out of the windows, his mind ticking over the problem at hand. Everything they knew about the siren – the illness, the injuries, how she travelled… he stared out at the sea through the windowless panes and his mind whirled at a rapid pace.

“Doctor?” Amy approached him quietly, and he waved a hand at her, still staring ahead. She travelled through reflections, but from _where_?

“Shhh,” he held a hand up as he stared, facts fighting to fit together in his mind. He could hear Amy shift next to him, as she stared with him quietly.

“What can you see?” She finally whispered and he shook his head.

“Feels like something’s out there, staring straight at me,” he mused out loud just a thunder crashed and the heaven’s opened, pouring rain. The calm was gone, a storm rolling in and he felt the ship rock beneath their feet. “Man the sails!” He shouted loud enough for Rory and Avery to hear him as he pushed past Amy and headed out to the deck.

The rain was lashing at them as they scrambled on the deck, following Avery’s orders as best they could, when they barely understood a thing he was saying. Beyond _yo ho ho_ , the Doctor wasn’t really up to snuff on his pirate phrases, but he pulled on ropes and prayed he was doing the right thing as Avery sent Toby to get his compass. Toby came back with his compass, and with the crown Avery was supposed to have thrown over. The boy’s face was hurt as his father stared at him, heedless of the storm raging around them. The crown dropped to the deck, rolling as if in slow motion, and the siren rose above it, reaching for Toby.

“Don’t let her take you!” Avery shouted as Toby stood, frozen and enthralled in front of the creature. “No!” Toby reached for the siren, disappearing as Avery screamed. For a moment, everyone was frozen – and then the siren turned to where Amy was struggling to hold him back. The Doctor finally managed to get to the crown – too late for Toby. But he flung it into the ocean as Avery muttered apologies and the siren disappeared. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Avery’s voice was torn with regret that could be heard over the rain and the Doctor turned to him. He’d expected better of this man. He’d _wanted_ better from this man.

“You couldn’t give up the gold could you? That’s why you turned pirate – your commission, your wife, your son – just what is that gold worth to you?” He stood before Avery, anger in his hearts as he shouted to be heard above the storm. And response Avery was about to make was lost though, when one of the yardarms broke free, swing across deck and knocking Rory overboard. They scrambled to the side, searching the water as Amy screamed for her husband.

“I can’t see him!” She shouted, her hands gripping the rail so tightly her knuckles looked faintly green. “Doctor, I’m going in.”

“No! You’ll both drown then,” he grabbed her before she could clamber over the side and shook her. “There’s only one thing that can save him now.”

“Doctor what are you talking about,” Amy struggled against his grasp and he gripped her harder.

“The siren. We have to release the siren,” he let her go, scrambling toward the water barrel as Amy tried to grab at his tweed in an effort to still him.

“Are you crazy? She’ll _kill_ him,” but the Doctor lifted the lid, ignoring her. The siren shot above them, looking around and the Doctor looked up at her.

“He’s drowning, you have to save him!” She paused for a moment before shooting up, arcing overboard and diving under the water. Just them Amy reached him, pounding her fists against his back.

“Doctor, what did you _do_?!”

“Amy, it isn’t some ravenous hunter! It’s intelligent and we can reason with it – and we can get them _back_. They’re _not_ dead.” His mind was scrambling ahead of the conversation at hand – to reason with the siren he needed to go to her – and to do that he had to- “We have to follow. We’ll prick our fingers.”

“Are you _mad_?” Avery stared at him aghast, but Amy nodded.

“If we ever want to see them again, we have to let her take us. Agreed?” Avery looked unsure, but Amy nodded.

“Yeah. Where he goes, I go.” She and the Doctor looked to Avery who nodded.

“Aye.”

The Doctor pulled a needle out of his pocket, stabbing his own hand first, then Amy’s and then Avery’s. They watched the black spot bloom across their palm and heard the song of the siren fill the air. He turned to face the creature, closing his eyes. _I’m coming_.

_xx_

When he woke up, there was metal plating under his face and his whole body ached. He groaned, pushing himself upright and shaking his head.  Amy and Avery were coming to next to him, and they were in a control room of a ship. He stood, looking around, and scanned the area with his sonic.

“Where are we?” Amy groaned and the Doctor looked over at her.

“Same place we were – look, we haven’t moved,” he nodded at the window, which showed them the pirate ship deck.

“A ghost ship,” Avery breathed and the Doctor rolled his eyes.

“No a _real_ ship. Caught in a temporal rift,” he explained as he scanned the beings at the helm and Avery stared around them, perplexed.

“How can two ships be in the same place?” Amy asked, confusion in her voice as she glanced around. “And where’s Rory?”

They passed through rooms – finding the signal source, and the reason the ship is stranded – the crew was all dead. Felled by human bacteria, and the siren is not a siren at all. After they examined the bodies they continued until they found a room with various beds, all full of bodies, attached to life support systems.

“McGrath – that’s one of my men!” Avery declared as they passed the first bed.

“He’s still breathing,” Amy said, relief evident in her voice.

“My entire crew is here,” Avery spoke before he noticed a bed containing his son. “Toby!” He rushed over to him and Amy spotted Rory just as the Doctor finished scanning items.

“Rory!” She ran to his side, her hands on him as she reassured herself that he was alive. Doctor spotted the TARDIS standing in the back of the room – but no River out here – where was she? Still inside?

“The TARDIS!”  The Doctor spotted the TARDIS standing in the back of the room – but no River out here – where was she? Still inside?  He ran to the doors, oh his ship – his _glorious_ ship that could get them all the hell out of there. The TARDIS hummed as he pressed a kiss to the doors, and tried to open one. “River?!” It was locked and he huffed in frustration, before he lifted his hand and snapped. The doors eased open, and River tumbled out, right into his arms. “River! Thank goodness,” he hugged her tightly, his arms wrapping around her as his face buried in her mad, impossible hair and he inhaled deeply. Of course she was okay – he’d known she would be. If he held her a moment longer than needed, well – he has his bad days. He’d been wrong about so much on this adventure. But not her.

“Nice when you admit it, you idiot,” she mumbled into his neck and he frowned – had he said all of that out loud? River pulled back, smiling for a moment before she disentangled herself and stepped back, rushing over to Rory’s side with Amy. “She went into lockdown mode – so the program wouldn’t see me.”

“The program? What program?” The Doctor rushed after her and River looked at him.

“I could still monitor – these people – that siren isn’t a siren at all. She was taking the ill and taking care of them. She’s-”

“A doctor!” The Doctor spoke aloud, smacking himself in the head as he looked at Amy. “Oh I am _thick_ ,” he muttered and River smirked.

“Well yes, sweetie, but it’s not _always_ a bad thing.” The Doctor frowned at her in confusion as Amy rolled her eyes.

“Oi you two, no sexual innuendos at my husband’s bedside, thank you. Now how do I get him off of here?” She fumbled with the control as the Doctor blushed bright red.

“ _River_.” She simply arched her brow when alarms started to blare and they all looked at Rory. River reached past Amy, flicking the switch back in place and Rory’s reading went back to normal.

River frowned in confusion, “He just had a nick on his hand,” she pointed out and the Doctor shook his head.

“He fell overboard and drowned.” The Doctor spoke as the siren reappeared in the room, moving among the beds slowly before she noticed them and frowned. She quickly intercepted, standing in front of Rory’s bed, the edges of her program glowing red. The Doctor scanned Rory quickly, checking the results. “She’s keeping him alive – his brain function is still active but he’s in stasis. It wasn’t a curse, it was a _sample_. And the song – she was anesthetizing them. She’s an interface – the crew died, can’t take care of them, so she seeped out into the world and became a human doctor for humans. Oh she’s _very_ good.”

“Then why can’t we take him?” Amy attempted to approach Rory once more and the program turned red, hissing at her in warning until Amy stepped back. “He’s my husband!”

“Release,” River spoke, looking around the room. “When someone leaves the hospital, they’re released to their next of kin.”

“They’re all in stasis,” the Doctor nodded in agreement. “She doesn’t know how to save them – she’s not programmed to understand human biology,” he moved forward, grasping Amy’s hand and lifting it. “Tell her, show her that you’re his next of kin.” He placed Amy’s left hand by Rory’s, and the program looked from one to the other, assimilating the new information. The Doctor looked at the siren carefully. “You might be virtual but you’re intelligent, come on – you must have that somewhere in your programming.”

“Look, I just want to take care of him,” Amy spoke in a hushed tone. “Why won’t you let me near my husband?” Suddenly the siren lifted her hand, a ring of light appearing over her palm.

“Consent, put your hand in,” the Doctor encouraged, and Amy did so. With that, the siren disappeared, “You’re responsible now.” He glanced around for River, but she was over by the sample disks, doing something.

“What do we do? He’ll drown if we take him away,” Amy fretted, hovering over Rory and stroking his face as the Doctor left to go see what River was up to.

“What are you doing?” He snuck up behind her so well that she jumped, glaring over her shoulder at him.

“Destroying your sample,” she finally responded and he stared at her, frowning. “Just one cell, Doctor. Armies would burn down worlds for this – we can’t leave it – it’s not safe.” She swallowed heavily, glancing over to where Amy and Rory were whispering. “He’ll need to be resuscitated.”

“I don’t know how,” the Doctor spoke weakly and River smiled.

“Amy does. He taught her when he was in nursing school – used it as an excuse to snog her – mouth-to-mouth.” River smiled fondly at them and the Doctor looked at her.

“How do you know that?” He asked her and she froze for one moment before she smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

“Amy told me – well, I guess _will_ tell me.” She stared at them for a moment before she turned back, finishing with the samples as Avery approached them.

“And what of my men?” he asked gruffly and River glanced at him.

“Their wounds are minor – they’ll live.”

“But Toby?” Avery asked and River looked over at him.

“She can’t cure him. And neither can the world you just left. But if this ship could be captained – there are places that can.” She spoke softly and the Doctor looked up in surprise. He’d not thought to give them the ship. “Among the stars. We could give you coordinates. After all – a ship’s a ship,” she repeated his own words back to him and he smiled.

“This ship could keep him alive until we get to this place?”

“It could yes,” the Doctor agreed, stepping up beside her and placing a hand at her back as he smiled at Avery. “And then – well. This ship is salvage, nobody’s property, really. A man might change his stars.”

“A man might,” Avery repeated before he clapped the Doctor on the shoulder. “Thank you Doctor. You’ve saved this old sea dog in more ways than one – I owe you a great debt.”

“You’d be surprised how often he hears that,” River smiled ruefully and Avery shook his head.

“I’d not find it surprising at all, actually.”

_xx_

Afterward, there are finer details to take over. As River predicted, Amy saved Rory, all on her own.  She never gave up, though it was close enough that even the Doctor was anxiously hovering and biting his nails. River on the other hand, never seemed to lose faith that Amy could do it, and she sat by the younger girl, and told her so.

Coordinates were given to Avery, and the TARDIS towed the ship back into space, where Avery bid them farewell. After all of that, Amy and Rory were eager to head to their room, arms wrapped around one another as Amy declared she was a good pirate, but Rory insisted she was an even better nurse.

“Well then,” the Doctor spoke softly and smiled after them – worry in his eyes as he thought of Amy’s scans. He wondered if he should ask River – she would know – but he also knew she wouldn’t tell him. Her and her bloody spoilers. He looked over at River, still in her pirate outfit, sword back at her side as she stood at the console, fiddling with knobs and avoiding his gaze. Which was his trademarked move, so he certainly wasn’t about to allow her to use it against him. “I feel like I didn’t get enough time to appreciate the outfit. You do have a certain flair, Doctor Song.”

He moved closer as she looked up, her smile sad. “I have to go back.”

“No,” his rejection of her words was instant. “You promised me more time. I’m not ready yet.”

“Doctor…” she sighed softly and he moved closer, taking her hand carefully and removing her sword and tossing it aside before he removed the last few inches between them. “It’s close now.”

“But it’s not today,” he reiterated and she looked at him, her expression unreadable. “Stay. I need you to – I _want_ you to.” His arms had wrapped around her and she sighed, the tension bleeding out of her frame as she leaned against him. He welcomed her weight, remembering his panic when she’d been on that gangplank, his fear when she’d disappeared. He leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to her temple and she hummed in content. “ _I’m_ close now.”

She looked at him and he looked back, willing her to see what he meant without him actually needing to _say_ it. He’d almost lost her and it had gripped him so tightly, that sudden sense of loss. He wasn’t sure who she was, but he knew how he was beginning to feel. About her. “About time,” she finally responded and he grinned at her.

“Matter of perspective,” he teased, tapping her nose affectionately and she looked up at him that same way she had when he’d done it all those months ago. Her eyes shone with affection and _love_ and just like it had then, it intoxicated him. He’d been so angry then – their kept secret still wriggled in the back of his mind, but it seemed less important now, and he felt like he could do what he’d longed to do then. He pulled her closer, and kissed her, because how could he not when she looked at him like _that_?

Her mouth opened under his, and her fingers curled into his still damp tweed as she held him in place, her tongue licking at his as he groaned, pushing closer to her – nothing was close enough. He kissed her like he should have that first time, he kissed her harder to remind her – not everything was back to front.

His hands wandered over her cool flesh, sliding over her shoulders, down her sides, he even felt brave enough that he stretched his fingertips wide, flirting with the side of her breasts as she moaned in his mouth. He kissed her, and decided he wanted to _keep_ kissing her until he became a sodding expert at it. If there were a doctorate in kissing River Song – he’d have that one too. “Stay,” he mumbled against her mouth, pleaded really and she smiled in response.

“Well, it’d be a pity to deprive you of the opportunity to _appreciate_ the outfit,” she smirked at him and he grinned, kissing her once more, his hands on her hips as he pinned her against him.

He pressed a kiss to her nose softly as she rolled her eyes, but that look was still there – that pure affection and love. He wanted to map it, explore it, know every inch of it and recognise and return it. He was still terrified, but he was more scared of losing it than he was of embracing it. He looked down between them to where her vest displayed her assets to her best advantage. “Well then, River Song, you bad, bad girl…” She arched a brow at him as his hand laced through hers ad he grinned.

“ _Yo ho ho_.”

 

 

 


End file.
